Aresco attempting to hold Big East Conference together

Dec. 13, 2012
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Officials from Tulane University are all smiles Nov. 27 as they announce their intent to join the Big East Conference. Now there is a question of whether there will be a conference to join. / Stacy Revere, Getty Images

by Dan Wolken, USA TODAY Sports

by Dan Wolken, USA TODAY Sports

Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco spent Thursday morning on a conference call with the presidents of the league's non-football schools, exploring all avenues to hold the conference together, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions.

That person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the talks were supposed to remain confidential.

The league's seven private Catholic schools, which do not sponsor Football Bowl Subdivision teams, have been exploring in recent days the possibility of striking out on their own or dissolving the conference. The legal entanglements of that decision are so complicated, however, that Aresco has been trying to slow the train and work out a deal to keep the league together.

A high-ranking official at a school moving to the Big East in 2013 told USA TODAY Sports that the football schools are under the impression that a breakup is imminent, but there is no immediate clear path forward if that happens. The official also spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the confidentiality of the talks.

The Big East is supposed to add Houston, SMU, Central Florida, Memphis, Tulane and Temple in all sports beginning in 2013, as well as Boise State and San Diego State as football-only members. Navy and East Carolina are supposed to join the league in 2014 as football-only members.

The mish-mash of schools and all-sports additions have left the basketball side feeling powerless and unstable, especially in light of the recent defections by Rutgers and Louisville to the Big Ten and ACC, respectively. Last year, Pittsburgh and Syracuse agreed to join the ACC, and Notre Dame is moving its non-football sports to that league. With those defections, and new members not set to join until July 1, 2013, the basketball schools have enough votes to basically dissolve the league and liquidate assets. ESPN reported Wednesday night that the schools were likely to break away and explore the possibility of adding Xavier and maybe two other schools from the Atlantic 10.

The Big East is in the middle of a television rights negotiation, which has been hindered by the instability in the landscape.

If the Big East breaks up, it's unclear whether the conference will continue to exist as a basketball entity, an all-sports conference or dissolve altogether. At stake also are millions of dollars in exit fees from the departing members and NCAA Tournament credits. The all-sports schools could stick together and try to add more members (particularly in the West) as a national conference, or Boise State and San Diego State could seek to simply return to the Mountain West. Everything is on the table at this point.